Dot "." or qualify "::" operator?

[Johs]

When I declare a string in C++ I type:

std::string mystring = "sdfsdf";

afterwards I can access string methods like:

mystring.

but why is there both :: and . operators and what are the difference?

[Colander]

On Apr 22, 7:03 pm, Johs <[e-mail]:

When I declare a string in C++ I type:

std::string mystring = "sdfsdf";

afterwards I can access string methods like:

mystring.

but why is there both :: and . operators and what are the difference?

:: works on types/namespaces, . works on instances.

std is a namespace, so you use ::
mystring is a variable, so you use .

Class A
{
public:
static int b;
}
// A is an type
A::b;

or

// a is an variable
A a;
a.b;

[Rolf Magnus]

Johs wrote:

When I declare a string in C++ I type:

std::string mystring = "sdfsdf";

afterwards I can access string methods like:

mystring.

but why is there both :: and . operators and what are the difference?

The former is used for classes and namespaces, the latter for objects.

[Ron AF Greve]

Hi,

In addition to the previous answers. If you have for instance a class with a
static function (i.e. independent of a specific object (the 'this' pointer
is not passed)) you could use ::

class example
{
public:
static void StaticFunction()
{
}
void ObjectFunction()
{
}
};
.......
#include <memory>
using namespace std;
....

example::StaticFunction(); // this is ok, no object (this pointer) available
or needed)

auto_ptr<exampleEx( new example);
Ex->ObjectFunction(); // this too, we need a real object here, the this
pointer is needed (invisible, pushed last on the stack)
Regards, Ron AF Greve

http://www.InformationSuperHighway.eu

"Rolf Magnus" <ra******@t-online.dewrote in message
news:f0*************@news.t-online.com...

Johs wrote:

>When I declare a string in C++ I type:

std::string mystring = "sdfsdf";

afterwards I can access string methods like:

mystring.

but why is there both :: and . operators and what are the difference?

The former is used for classes and namespaces, the latter for objects.